Generation and Demand

Operating an electrical system is complicated. The system must always be in balance. That means that customer demand or "load" must always be in balance with the energy being generated or delivered to our system. Demand for electricity is not constant rather it changes moment by moment, every time someone flips on a light switch, turns on an irrigation pump, or shuts down a factory conveyor belt for the night. Idaho Power must meet those changing needs as they happen 24/7, 365 days per year. In addition, we are required to integrate the energy from resources such as wind, where the output can also change quickly and unexpectedly. Federal law requires Idaho Power to purchase all energy produced by many of these renewable-energy generators regardless of system conditions and need, often at a higher price than our own resources and/or the market. In order to match generation with load, we increase or decrease the energy produced from our own resources, and/or purchase or sell energy on the market.

The chart below shows which resources are contributing to meet our customers’ changing energy demand. Note how different generation resources vary their generation each hour, as generation from resources, such as wind, increase or decrease, to meet the energy demands of the system. In a typical year, hydroelectric power provides about half of the energy delivered to our customers. For more details about where your electricity comes from, visit our fuel mix page.

Click on a bar below to get detailed hourly output from each generation resource. Items on the chart are measured in megawatts. How much is a megawatt? Imagine a 100-watt light bulb. One megawatt will power 10,000 of those bulbs. On average, that megawatt can serve 695 average homes.

Net Purchases - The net energy imported or purchased onto Idaho Power's system in order to serve customer demand.

Non-Utility Geothermal - Electricity purchased from a third party producer where the electricity is generated from subsurface hot water.

PURPA*/Non-Utility Solar - Electricity purchased from a qualified facility or a third-party producer where the electricity is generated using solar panels. (Does not include energy produced by net metering customers.)

PURPA*/Non-Utility Wind - Electricity purchased from a qualified facility or a third party producer where the electricity is generated using wind turbines.

PURPA* Other - Electricity purchased from a qualified facility where the electricity is generated using water, biomass, landfill gas, or natural gas.

* PURPA - The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) is a federal law that requires Idaho Power to purchase renewable energy produced by certain Qualifying Facilities (QFs), such as wind, solar, geothermal and small hydroelectric resources. The generation produced by these projects is identified as PURPA with the resource type (e.g. PURPA Wind). PURPA Other includes all non-wind generation produced from QFs that contract with Idaho Power through the PURPA process.

When the hourly generation profile exceeds the load line, Idaho Power is a net exporter of energy and has sold energy to a neighboring utility on the open market. The net amount received of these surplus energy sales (either profit or loss) is passed on to customers through the annual Power Cost Adjustment (PCA).

Because Idaho Power sells (or does not own) the renewable energy certificates or "green tags" associated with certain projects in its resource portfolio, and uses the proceeds to benefit customers, we are not permitted to say that renewable energy from those projects is delivered to customers.

Any discrepancies between generation and load are due to the provisional nature of the data, all information provided is subject to change upon final review.